Hooray for the weekend! We both have ✨golden ✨ weekends meaning we get Saturday and Sunday off! And even though we normally like to cook at home, we decided to explore a little bit more of this beautiful city and tried out a new Costa Rican restaurant out in Bucktown called Irazu. Oh my, we stuffed our faces as we do when we go on date night, I am so full of chips and spicy salsa, steak and plantains, black beans and tacos. And so happy. Even five months settled in and Chicago never ceases to amaze me. I love all the different flavors in each neighborhood and could never get tired of eating all of its deliciousness.

My heart has been feeling many things lately, and so many things have made me feel loved, proud, happy, and excited in the past week or so. Some big things, some small things, all equally worth sharing! So a little list for your weekend of things that I'm loving lately:

Lake Michigan on a sunny morning! Even if it's a cold morning, it's sparkly and serene and so perfect. I just got a gym membership so my outdoor running is nearly over for the year, but if there ever is a nice day out this November, you know where I'll be headed

Old school jams and (if you're a fellow Chicago resident) FM 101.1 is just killing it. Jamming out to Red Hot Chili Peppers in the morning driving into work is one of the best ways to start the day, if you ask me

Trader Joe's snacks, specifically these cinnamon schoolbook cookies. My MICU senior, Liz, would always bring in Trader Joe's snacks on our long call days, and these were ones I could not stop shoveling into my mouth. They are so addicting and tasty and maybe because they're not chocolate covered, they don't leave so much of a belly ache when you're done eating twenty of them in one sitting?

This healthy turkey chili from Ambitious Kitchen, so filling and warms you quite literally from head to toe. This was the one we made last week and it was the perfect way to welcome the chilly weather!

My friend Brendan started his own company, called altSTATES travel, a company that offers unique travel excursions throughout the United States. I'm freaking proud of him and this amazing accomplishment. His itineraries sound so incredibly fun and there's a Midwestern Brewery Tour that I'm already eyeing for the future.

And speaking of badass friends, my friend Grace started her blog recently, a blog about her diagnosis of vulvodynia, and how it has affected her life. And she handled her first Internet troll like a boss. Her courage to speak up about women's health is so incredibly important in this time.

Maybe this little list will inspire you to make your own for the weekend, things to remember when your mind, body, or soul are not feeling as great as you want it to be. We are entering the winter months, and I know it can be daunting with the dark evenings and bitter cold. Stay warm, cozy up with a good book, and share time with good friends this season.